World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5th and the United Nations set this year’s theme: "Fighting Plastic Pollution." Once again, the Bensaude Group cannot let this date pass unnoticed, restating its commitment to environmental and social sustainability.
The dependence on disposable plastic has resulted in very serious environmental consequences and to counter this challenge, this year's World Environment Day is an opportunity for us to open our horizons and consider plastic alternatives. To do this, one can start by refusing all plastic items that we cannot reuse and try to find alternatives to the objects we use daily, we can: replace plastic bags with cloth bags; replace plastic containers with glass/metal ones; and switch from plastic toothbrushes to bamboo brushes.
INSCO, a Bensaude Group company, that manages the SONAE brand in the Azores, had the idea, during 2017 through the Department of the Environment, to develop with the local school community the "INSCO goes to School" project.
"INSCO goes to School" enabled children to learn more about the environment through actions of environmental awareness. Through these actions, children had the opportunity to deepen concepts such as trash separation and reuse of waste. The activities were carried out in Lagoa and Ribeira Grande in several After School Activity Centers.
In terms of INSCO's environmental performance in 2017 compared to 2016 in energy, water, chemical and non-differentiated waste, INSCO presented the following results:
- Environmental Management System in the stores of São Miguel Island: Energy increase of 0.8%, Water increase of 4%, Chemical Products increase of 17% and Undifferentiated Waste with a 33% increase;
- Environmental Management System in stores of Terceira Island: Energy with a reduction of 0.18%, Water increase of 14%, Chemicals increase of 4% and Undifferentiated Waste with a reduction of 0.1%;
- Environmental Management System in stores in Faial Island: Energy reduction of 1%, Water reduction of 9%, Chemical Products with a reduction of 27% and a 7% increase of Undifferentiated Waste.
INSCO is committed to reducing the production of undifferentiated waste, valuing the separation of the remaining waste and directing them to recycling and treatment. In 2017, 60.9% of the waste produced was separated by type and 39.1% was sent to the landfill.
On June 5th, World Environment Day was also celebrated in the Continente stores with the project "School comes to Continente on World Environment Day." This project was designed to share INSCO's environmental culture with the school community and its customers. A visit with the children was made to the places of greater environmental interest in Continente stores and there were also environmental activities which showed the reuse of waste in the sales floor of Continente stores in Angra do Heroísmo and Ponta Delgada.
In 2017, the Regional Department for the Environment purchased containers for the collection of used clothes in order to reduce the amount of textile waste that came to the Waste Processing Centers and were not valued. Waste collection containers are spread across the 9 islands.
In 2017, the Regional Department for the Environment purchased containers for the collection of used clothes in order to reduce the amount of textile waste that came to the Waste Processing Centers and were not valued. Waste collection containers are spread across the 9 islands.
In 2017, INSCO trained 441 employees in the Environmental practices.
This training was geared towards raising employees’ awareness of environmental issues/challenges, as well as teaching them the internal procedures in accordance with the Environmental Management System implemented at INSCO. This was intended for all employees of Lojas Continente, MO, Note, Sportzone, Worten, Wells, Bom Bocado, Bagga and Meu Super; Manufacturing Centers; Logistic Warehouses and external service providers for cleaning, security and parts.
The way to ensure a healthy future is to live within planetary boundaries and in a sustainable way, where less is more. THINK GREEN AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.